Welcome to Club Hot Rod!  The premier site for everything to do with Hot Rod, Customs, Low Riders, Rat Rods, and more. 

  •  » Members from all over the US and the world!
  •  » Help from all over the world for your questions
  •  » Build logs for you and all members
  •  » Blogs
  •  » Image Gallery
  •  » Many thousands of members and hundreds of thousands of posts! 

YES! I want to register an account for free right now!  p.s.: For registered members this ad will NOT show

 
Like Tree13Likes
  • 2 Post By jerry clayton
  • 1 Post By techinspector1
  • 4 Post By 36 sedan
  • 1 Post By 36 sedan
  • 1 Post By Rrumbler
  • 1 Post By 36 sedan

Thread: Installing steel rocker arm studs in aluminum heads
          
   
   

Reply To Thread
Results 1 to 10 of 10
  1. #1
    Scooting's Avatar
    Scooting is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Rio Rancho
    Car Year, Make, Model: 1940 Ford Sedan
    Posts
    537

    Installing steel rocker arm studs in aluminum heads

     



    Hi,
    On the installation of steel rocker arm studs and steel guide plates into an new aluminum head, what should I use on the threads? Anti-seize? Permantex water sealant? How about the guide plates, where they meet the aluminum heads? Moly lube? Anti-seize?
    The aluminum/steel interface must need something and don't some of the studs go into the water jacket?.
    Sent question to head manufacturer but no response, need some real world advice from real engine buidlers. Give me a hand.

  2. #2
    34_40's Avatar
    34_40 is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    New Bedford
    Car Year, Make, Model: 34 Ford 3W Coupe Replica
    Posts
    14,606

    I've become a fan of the ARP fastener lube.

    Even where the fastener enters the coolant jacket, it seems to provide the correct torque and sealing.

  3. #3
    rspears's Avatar
    rspears is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Gardner, KS
    Car Year, Make, Model: '33 HiBoy Coupe, '32 HiBoy Roadster
    Posts
    10,989

    IMO the concern is galvanic action causing the steel & aluminum to basically corrode and stick together. This is a problem for threaded objects that you will be removing later, but I cannot see that it's a problem for steel studs that you are installing once and never taking out again, other than to change out guide plates. Just know that in the event you DO have to remove them in the future you may be heli-coiling some (or all) of them to put in new.
    Last edited by rspears; 04-02-2016 at 07:06 AM. Reason: (Typing while Jerry was posting....
    Roger
    Enjoy the little things in life, and you may look back one day and realize that they were really the BIG things.

  4. #4
    jerry clayton's Avatar
    jerry clayton is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Bartlett
    Posts
    6,831

    The rocker studs hold the guide plates down------always use some kind of lube/sealer if water jacket involved but most studs go into a boss cast on the head-some intake rocker studs will penetrate into intake port and can cause vacume leak. there are some longer studs to allow more thread surface(well actually, I think it started by placing the exhaust rocker higher up for correct geometry and they broke the bosses off so somebody did some longer studs-always use 7/16 thread, never use the 3/8 into alum. save the helicoil for repair option later. seal the threads into the intake ports or you will get a leaky, smoky,vacume leak.

    Proper alignment of the process is vital
    techinspector1 and NTFDAY like this.

  5. #5
    techinspector1's Avatar
    techinspector1 is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Zephyrhills, Florida, USA
    Car Year, Make, Model: '32 Henway
    Posts
    12,423

    Quote Originally Posted by jerry clayton View Post
    Proper alignment of the process is vital.
    And so is the proper pushrod length.....
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5is9BsH5OU

    .
    NTFDAY likes this.
    PLANET EARTH, INSANE ASYLUM FOR THE UNIVERSE.

  6. #6
    rspears's Avatar
    rspears is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Gardner, KS
    Car Year, Make, Model: '33 HiBoy Coupe, '32 HiBoy Roadster
    Posts
    10,989

    Quote Originally Posted by DennyW View Post
    I'm sorry guys, but when I work with aluminum, and some things like areas that usually go bad normally, I always prepare it for the worse situation. Anything aluminum, it gets helicoils. It's a pay me now, or pay me later kind of thing. There are several different helicoils, for any type, or any part of an application. At different strengths. Hell, the Military uses them all the time. If you want a thread to stay where it is supposed to be, a helicoil will keep it there far longer. If the aluminum has a rolled thread, you have a better chance of keeping the thread, but, corrosion will catch up to you. And if changing the thread size from 3/8" to 7/16", why not just go ahead and get all the help you can right then ? And always use sealers, and anti-seize where they are needed. Any way, that is my thinking, and has never let me down.
    While I understand your position completely, I would have a hard time drilling out the threads on a brand new head and installing helicoils. In the event that you have any problem with the head you've given the manufacturer an out by modifying it before it's even proven. Using your logic would entail drilling out and helicoiling the spark plug holes, too, as they are just a failure waiting to happen, but look at the number of heads out there that are doing just fine provided anti-seize is used on the plugs. In a racing application I could see going the helicoil route more than for the street, but for a street application I'm with Jerry - save the helicoils for repairs later, especially on a rocker stud that will very likely never be removed once it's installed. Just my $0.02.
    Roger
    Enjoy the little things in life, and you may look back one day and realize that they were really the BIG things.

  7. #7
    36 sedan's Avatar
    36 sedan is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    american canyon
    Car Year, Make, Model: 36 Ford Sedan, 23 T Bucket
    Posts
    1,899

    Edelbrock aluminum heads have inserts at the rocker and exhaust bolts factory installed, and other may as well. If in doubt check with the manufacture and see what they have and/or recommend.

  8. #8
    36 sedan's Avatar
    36 sedan is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    american canyon
    Car Year, Make, Model: 36 Ford Sedan, 23 T Bucket
    Posts
    1,899

    If the threaded area of the spark plug extends into the firing chamber the build up on the treads can strip the aluminum on the way out, wether anti-seize was used or not. This same condition can make it very difficult to remove plugs in an iron head too. It is important to use the correct plug that matches the head design, often we hot rodders forget this.
    Sorry off topic...
    techinspector1 likes this.

  9. #9
    Rrumbler is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Las Vegas
    Car Year, Make, Model: Sans hot rod, sold the truck.
    Posts
    1,207

    Just a thought on the issue of corrosion between the guide plates and the aluminum head bosses; I don't know whether it would hold with this application, though; on electrical connections, especially where dissimilar metals are involved, I have always used some sort of anti-corrosion grease when making the connections up. In high voltage work, we cleaned and greased all connections, and then tested them for resistance before energizing them; bolted connections were especially critical, clamped ones not so much. Now, I can't say that anti-corrosion grease, brands I can think of right off the top of my head are "Anti-Cor", and "No-Corrode", would be useful or effective in an engine where aluminum and steel or cast iron are in contact under pressure of a bolted joint, but it is something to consider; perhaps a heretofore un-considered alternative to anti-seize.

    .
    techinspector1 likes this.
    Rrumbler, Aka: Hey you, "Old School", Hairy, and other unsavory monickers.

    Twistin' and bangin' on stuff for about sixty or so years; beat up and busted, but not entirely dead - yet.

  10. #10
    36 sedan's Avatar
    36 sedan is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    american canyon
    Car Year, Make, Model: 36 Ford Sedan, 23 T Bucket
    Posts
    1,899

    Most anti-seize compounds are conductive (some more than others) and are designed for use on threaded appliances that need to complete a circuit (leak energy), spark plugs exc.. Most anti-corrosive compounds are NON conductive and designed to prevent corrosion and not leak electrical energy. The use of anti-corrosion compound on house current (120/220 volt, also used in high voltages) is to coat and prevent the metals from any corrosions that could be present and would harm (insulate) the mechanical make up of the connection, without allowing the energy transmitted through them to leak out via the compound itself conducting it.

    Most automotive applications use anti-seize compounds (bolts, spark plugs exc..), as it is important for all components to conduct a good ground without interferences from corrosions. With the exception of anti-corrosion compounds being used on top of battery connections to prevent corrosion from forming without any leakage to surrounding surfaces.

    Because of the coolants (usually mixed with water) and the 12 volt DC electrical systems that flows through our motors, electrically induced corrosions are always present, which can cause and speed up electrolysis. Anti-seizing compounds are used on all of our motor's grounding type and dissimilar metal connections to lesson this condition by allowing a lubricating protection that seals the connection while promoting its conductivity, thus lowering the chances of electrolysis forming between the mating surfaces.

    The exception being where an appliance or bolt enters into the water and/or oiling systems and requires a better seal from their internal pressures.
    Rrumbler likes this.

Reply To Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
Links monetized by VigLink